Soot and Snow
by OrangeGoggles
Summary: When Loki arrives on Earth after the destruction of the Bifrost, he happens upon a mortal who might turn the tides in his war against humanity. Mature for language and later chapters. [Loki/OC]


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my own characters. All else belongs to the pantheon of gods, Marvel, both cinematic and comic universes that will be included in this fanfiction. Onward!

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**Prologue**

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Loki stood in his cell, alone. The bright, harsh lighting of his cage, as with all the others in the prisons, never went out. An exiled prince returned home to be put in chains, never to see the light of day again, confined into unbreachable walls. The days and nights of his imprisonment would one day meld together until he rotted away. His name and his misdeeds would be all that remained.

Or so they thought.

His mother made quite a few visits, bringing him comforts to make his eternity more bearable. If he asked, if the request was not too extravagant, Frigga would comply. The guards did not see her, and the All-Father was oblivious to the frequent appearance of his returning guest.

Loki always believed he drew his strength in magic from his mother.

The leather spine cracked when he opened the newest book of magical tactics. His collection grew with each visit and they piled up like a mountain in the corner of the cell. Reading for the rest of his life was not what he had in mind for his sentence.

"What is her name?" Frigga asked. He froze, fingers lingering on an unturned page. The question caught him off guard, though it was in her nature to pry. She _would_ ask about the mortal.

"I don't believe I have read this book before," he said.

"I know how much you enjoy learning about arkane lore." Surprising, that she would bring such a volume, given his recent exploitations. He scanned the words without reading them, leafing through the pages of silvery text.

"Are you not afraid I will use this knowledge to break out of this place? Wreak havoc upon the people who wrongfully accused me?"

"Wrongfully accused?" Frigga gave him a stern look. "You and I have very different definitions of the word wrong."

"Clearly."

"I also know love when I see it. Shall I ask you again?"

Loki laughed in spite of himself. Anything would be better than speaking of the wretched mortal who, in his mind, ruined any chance he had at gaining a throne. But that was not necessarily true, as Loki now had an ounce-if that-of her humanity. "Is this woman's intuition?"

"This is a mother who knows what to look for. You've never been very skilled at keeping your emotions from me. Your brother had that same expression for over two years."

"Do not compare me to Thor," he spat. _After all this time, and I am still compared to him. The dimwitted oaf, humanity's savior_. _I should be used it this humiliation by now. _"He knows little of reigning and how to rule the masses, much less the ways of the universe. My dear brother would give it all away for the love of one pathetic mortal woman, and for that, his heart is weak. Among other reasons."

"Did she love you back?"

Loki pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I would rather not, mother."

Frigga pursed her lips. "I apologize, my son. I shall return when I can, though Odin may suspect something already; this visit was ill-planned, too soon after the last time." Loki nodded, returning his attention to the tome in his hands. From the corner of his eye he saw his mother's likeness flicker and fade.

He allowed himself a small smile, but it did not reach his eyes. "Eden," he muttered, keeping his sights on the words of the page. "Her name is Eden."

Frigga said nothing, she only smiled at her son, her shimmering image fading into nothing.

Eden. How she would have laughed at his state of being now. And what he wouldn't give to hear that laughter one last time. All the same, Loki had no intention of staying locked up forever. Whether he would see the mortal again, fate could not say.

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**A/N:** And now begins the harrowing tale...I really enjoy writing Loki since he is so versatile, he has such a fluid character that he can react in any way he want depending on what benefits him. So there's that.

See you all soon!

-OG


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